I recently backpacked my way deep into the Olympic National Rainforest with some of my friends. It was the first time I’ve actually backpacked and lived off the supplies I carried in my bag. Needless to say I’m hooked and can’t wait to find another adventure! In the meantime, here’s a video I shot and posted up on my second YouTube channel. I also created the music. Me likey.

I recently got the chance to camp out along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time. I had been to the Grand Canyon when I was much younger (maybe 8 or 9) but that was at the more touristy South Rim and I don’t remember much of anything. Despite being a few hours additional drive from Las Vegas and 1000ft higher in elevation than the South Rim, the North Rim offers amazing tranquility away from lame tourists, long rewarding hiking trails, and some spectacular views of the 6000ft deep canyon.

I was worried that the elevation would get to me (8200ft) seeing as the 5000ft Yosemite Valley trip I recently took during snowy times caused me a good night of grief. As it turns out, I dealt with it just fine. I kept well hydrated and fed, exerted myself no more than I had to or felt comfortable for the first 2 days, and just relaxed. The trip was awesome and I cannot wait to go back. We only dropped down into the canyon briefly along the Kaibob Trail towards the Supai Tunnel (2 miles down) as it was late in the day, we hadn’t acclimated yet, and it was frakkin’ HOT. Regardless, that trail was spectacular (and stinky thanks to the mules!). The next day we explored the 10 mile Widfross Trail. Simply Glorious.

Here are just a couple shots that I took that I like. Again, like Yosemite, none of these pics do the National Park any justice.

So here’s the deal. YouTube is having a contest to choose 25 of it’s up-and-coming Partnered members with under 300,ooo subscribers to enter into it’s NextUp Program. What does this mean? Well, $35,000 to spend on the project of that partners choice, for one. Also, an all expenses paid trip to New York to participate in a 4 day intensive learning the ins and outs of the YouTube business and how to take their partnership to the next level. And guess what? I’M A SEMI-FINALIST!!

This could not have come at a better time for me, what with the amazing success of “Saturday”. I would love this opportunity to make my idea come to fruition with an actual budget. My idea is to bring The Real Cool Club live comedy broadcast to YouTube utilizing their new live broadcasting feature. With this money I could finally build a set, bring in production crew and give the show the shot it deserves. I’d also finally be able to get some of my friends paying work doing what we love: making comedy!

TO VOTE:Go HERE and “thumbs up” my video. That’s it! You can do it once a day until April 8th. Then YouTube will choose the top 50 and proceed to the next level of judging where they will whittle it down to 25 grand prize winners.

I have friends who are also Semi-Finalists and I know they’d appreciate the votes as well: CorridorDigital, Jimmy Wong, Jason Horton, and Wren The Reaper